The '90s was a decade full of crazes. Bottled water burgeoned as a daily accessory with as much importance and "tote-ability" as a purse, wallet or car keys. And the dawning of reality TV, thanks to MTV's "The Real World," sparked an entire market of reality TV as a necessary staple to any moneymaking television network. However, another trend cropped up on the West coast in the '90s, and like every other trend, has finally reached the faraway Midwest -- the trend, of course, is breathing fresher air.
The Japanese have long used recreational oxygen to combat the dreariness of living in a polluted environment, so it's all too fitting that one of the first American distributors of recreational oxygen, or oxygen bar, popped up in Los Angeles, Calif., and was opened by Hollywood actor Woody Harrelson.
At oxygen bars customers can order a 5- to 20-minute session of concentrated oxygen breathing for around $1 a minute at most bars. Customers can enhance their oxygen experience by asking for aromatherapy scents to be added to the oxygen, such as lavender for calming, or mint for reviving.
The machines used by oxygen bars or oxygen vendors are different from the typical medical-issue machine, though customers use the cannula, the rubber tube apparatus that fits around the ears and inserts in the nostrils, to breathe in the fresh air.
Proponents of recreational oxygen use claim breathing in a higher concentration of oxygen, often 92-95 percent oxygen at most oxygen bars, gives the user a relaxed and energized feeling.
Scott Miller, Florida native and proponent of recreational oxygen, said that oxygen helps heal wounds and clear the mind. Scientific tests, Miller said, show that a million years ago the oxygen percentage in the air was 39 percent, compared to the 21 percent oxygen level today.
Miller claims recreational oxygen is safe for normal, healthy people and even claims that casinos sometimes pump up to 40 percent oxygen into their gambling areas to keep customers alert and happy.
"The oxygen breathed through the cannula is mixed with room air when breathing. Oxygen machines don't put out enough volume to allow one to breathe only oxygen. Also, in my experience, breathing naturally slows down when breathing oxygen -- that is, the body self-regulates the oxygen intake," Miller said.
Miller claims breathing intensified oxygen levels can help concentration. He owns a converted medical oxygen machine, which he keeps in his office.
"I use it while reading, thinking, studying -- especially if the mental fog sets in," he said.
Mike Miller, a local recreational oxygen distributor, caters his oxygen to clients instead of tending to a bar. He owns four portable oxygen units and rents the units out for parties and gatherings. He charges $300 for the first hour and $150 for each successive hour, and he mandates a three-hour minimum.-á-á
Mike Miller claims the oxygen provides a high for the user.
"You just get a really good euphoric feeling from it," he said.
The American Lung Association states that using recreational oxygen is "unlikely to have a beneficial physiological effect," and oxygen inhaled at high levels can even pose a toxic risk to users. However, the ALA also states that there is no conclusive evidence that the low flow levels of most recreational oxygen units poses a danger to the health of a normal, healthy person.
"Medically, you can't really claim anything," Mike Miller said.
Also, according to "Oxygen Bars Not a Breath of Fresh Air," which appeared in Health Scout News Reporter, the scents some vendors use for aromatherapy can produce severe medical damage. Essential oils used in oxygen machines can produce tiny drops of oil that could actually be breathed into the lungs. Lipoid pneumonia could possibly result from breathing in the tiny droplets of oil.
Scott Miller uses a few drops of essential oils, such as lemon oil, coupled with a cotton-like filter, and local vendor Mike Miller uses essential oil-based scents in his machines as well.
Also, according to the FDA, oxygen is generally regarded as a prescription drug and should be administered only under physician supervision. However, the FDA also recognizes that there are circumstances that would be impractical to insist on physician supervision. Generally, states set up guidelines for recreational oxygen vendors.
"Oxygen is a very pleasant and rather affordable way to enjoy life with a little more energy," Scott Miller said.
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